Lock for mail bags



R. W. E. SMITH.

LOCK FOR. MAIL BAGS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29,1921.

Patented Oct. 31; 1922.

; New YORK Cn'v,

PORTLA ND, ME

1220621207: J I! RMPRWESmrTK p T 0 all whomit may concern.

Patented Oct. 31, 1922.

, UNITEB is'r R LPH w. n. siaITH, or, PORTLIANVIJWMAINE.

1,33,858 FFiCEJ *ATENT" Look non MAIL BAGS.

' Application fiied'ocibbe'ra'e, 1921". Seria1, N0. 511,424.

Be it known that I, RALPH W. E. SMT1H,

a citizen ofthe'Uiiited States, residing at Portland, in'th'e county of Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Looks for. Mail Bags, of which the following 1s aspecihcatio'n. v p

My invention relates to a lock for-mail bags to take the place of the strap and padlock ordinarily used for lockedand released in any desired position.

The device as I prefer to construct it, consistsof an arcuate casingfitting around the neck of the b'ag'with a strap having on its end a bolt provided with ratchet teeth adapted to slide into the casing andtobe caught therein by a pawl with a suitable key entering the casing for releasing the pawl and a suitable slot within the casing for sliding in a tag indicating thepost-olfice.

With such a device, it is only necessary to close it around the neck of the bag, push the bolt into its recess where it will. be

automatically locked by the retaining pawl and quickly releasable when desired by the use ofthe key.

On the outside surface of the casing is a recess through which the name of the postotlice is visible. i ,v

The device does the work of the padlock, strap and staple now in use and is a very simple and effective device for the purpose. I have illustrated my invention by means of the accompanying drawing in which similar reference letters indicate similar parts.

Fig. 1 is a plan of the locking device.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the upper end of the bag with the lock in place,

Fig. slide,

Fig. el is a perspective of the multiple spring actingto close the pawl,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the bag and lock. 1

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the key,

Fig. 7 is a section through the tumblers of the lock' taken on theline 1-1 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 8 isa perspective section of the end of the casing showing the tag in place,

Fig. 9 is an elevation of'the casing,

3 is a perspective of the tag retaining Fig; 10is "a plan of the device formed straight as distinguished from the arcuate form, the latter being adapted especially for mail bags and,

11 is an elevation of the end of the casingshowing the tag receiving recess Referring to the drawing:

1 represents the bag and 2 is a flexible strap secured by one end to the bag, the other end being free to pass around the neckof the same. On the free end of the strap 2 is an. arcuate bolt 3 containing ratchet teeth 6'for locking the bolt in place and having a projection handle 2" by which it is' pushed in and drawn out. I

The bolt is receivedinahollow. casing 4t secured to the bag and the fixed end of the st'rap by rivets 0 or other suitable means. Both the bolt 3 and the casing 4 are formed in the arc of a circle so that the bolt may be pushed into the casing from the open end thereof as far as may be necesiary to completely close the mouth of the R-atchet teeth 6 are formed on the outer edge of the bolt 3 and-extend sufliciently far back from the end'so as to cover different sizes of bag and to make sure the strap is closed completely,

The bolt 3 is held in locked position by a spring actuated pawl. which is made up of a plurality of thin pawls 8 placed side by side on the shaft 7.

Thesethin pawls acting together or separately engage the teeth 6 to holdthe bolt locked.

A multiplespring 9 having, a plurality of spring members is secured to the casing and each spring is positioned to press downward upon one of the corresponding pawls 8 so that each separate pawl is spring actuated and is in position to engage one of the teeth of the bolt.

The pawl is released by a key 10 having wards 10. which press down on each of the sections of the pawl. The wards are of length so that when the key is turned, they lift each pawl out ofengagement with its tooth. v

The length of the wards and the thickness of the corresponding section must exactly correspond so that the effect of the entire combination will be to disengage the pawl when the key is turned.

Means are provided for inserting 111 the outer portion of the casing a tag 15 marked to designate the post-oflice which may be the destination of the bag.

For this purpose, a longitudinal slot is' formed In the casing immediately outside the slot containing the bolt. This slot 11 is opened at one end so that the elongated tag 15 may be slipped into place andthe outer face of the casing is cut away to form an opening 12 through Which the face of the tag may be seen. I .Means are provided for holding the tag in place longitudinally so that it cannotslip out of the end Where it is inserted. For this purpose, I provide'a slide 14 Whichsl'ips on the bolt 3 with slight friction so that it will normally remain in place Wherever it is left.

the size of theneck of the bag but at Whatever position the bolt fina'lly takes, the slide 14 is pushed upward to theend of the casing thereby holding the tag securely in place.

Itwill be seen that the entire locking de vice is securely attached to the bag and that the whole arrangementis very compact and simple.

In Fig. 10, I have shown the device made I in a straight line in place of the curve illustrated in Fig. 1 so that a bag of rectangular cross section may be closed as Well as a bag 40 having a circular'cross section.

I claim:

A look for mail bags consisting of astrap or the like, an arcuate casing secured to one end of the strap, an arcuate bolt secured tothe other end of the strap having ratchet,

teeth and adapted to slide into said'casing, a pawl for engaging said ratchet teeth, a key for releasing the same, said casing having a longitudinal slot open at one end and at its face into which a tag may be slipped and a trictionally held slide embracing and adapted to move on saidstrap forretaining said tag within the casing.

RALPH W. E. SMITH. 

